


Finding Each Other

by wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Basically the same but the Byers never move, Elmax and Byler ship each other, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I think they'd be about 15 in this fic?, It starts out real angsty but there's fluff i promise you, M/M, Mutual Pining, Out and Proud Max, Pining, Will has an upside down flashback/episode, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:40:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25158643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal/pseuds/wandering_soul_with_a_writing_goal
Summary: Elmax and Byler are hopelessly in love and need assistance. Willel the power siblings, Annoyed M&M, Will and Max the disaster gays, and Elmike gay besties :)ORThe famous "Drama Fic"
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Mike Wheeler, Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Maxine "Max" Mayfield & Mike Wheeler, Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper, Will Byers & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 20
Kudos: 71





	1. More upset than I should be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will can't stand seeing Mike kiss El. Neither can Max.

**Part 1: Will Byers**

Will loved hanging up with his friends, of course. But ever since he’d come back from the Upside Down, he couldn’t deny that things were different. Especially with his best friend.

He knew that Mike would always love him. You know, as a friend. But he couldn’t stop himself from hoping that maybe,  _ maybe _ they could be something more. It seemed stupid now. Especially now, as Will saw El and Mike holding hands as the Party left Mike’s basement.

They got outside and it took all of Will’s strength to not roll his eyes at the PDA Mike and El were displaying.  _ Can’t they do that, you know, not here? _ Well, it didn’t matter. That’s what Will told himself, anyway.

Because things wouldn’t change, no matter what Will thought about it. They were too in love to break up any time soon.

Will forced a smile and waved to Dustin and Lucas, who were biking away as Dustin talked about the new Spiderman comic he’d bought. He did feel a genuine smile appear on his face as he watched his other two best friends. He didn’t have any bad memories or feelings tied to the Ranger and Bard.

But as he turned back to get on his bike and saw the Paladin kissing the Mage, he remembered once again that things would never be the same.

The faster he got away, the better. So, he waved quickly at Mike, not knowing if he saw or not, and not really caring. He started riding and found that somehow he ended up next to Max. The Zoomer? He didn’t really know what her role was in the party, but that’s what she called herself. So, the Zoomer.

She was skateboarding, which seemed to be a slower ride, but  _ wow _ , she was fast. She rode at the same speed as Will, even surpassing him sometimes. The few times he caught a glimpse of her face, he saw bitterness, frustration, and even a bit of sadness, and--

“Shit!” she cursed as she fell off of the skateboard.

Will quickly got off of his bike to help her. “Are you alright?” he asked, helping her up.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks.”

He looked at her and felt empathetic. He could definitely imagine wanting to ride away so fast that he could fall.

And she looked back at him, a flicker of understanding crossing her face. They were, somehow, both in the same boat. Maybe not the  _ exact _ same boat, but, well, they both had to deal with the same sort of shit. Will knew somewhat how Max’s step dad acted, and all he could think was that Neil was the same as his own father. And whenever Will stopped himself from watching Mike and El act all sappy, he saw Max’s face full of a similar resentment. So, he thought maybe, maybe… They  _ were _ in the same boat.

He realized that he’d been standing there for too long and quickly looked down. “Uh, sorry. I’m just… thinking…”

As if she read his mind, she half-smiled and asked, “Wanna get ice cream?”

He grinned and nodded. “Let’s go.”

* * *

**Part 2: Max Mayfield**

“So, um… You’re really close with El. Right?”

They sat in a well-shaded patch under a tree, next to Will’s favorite ice-cream stand. Max had never gone, but it turns out she was missing out. Fred’s Soft Serve had, no joke, the best soft serve she’d ever had. And she even got to talk to Fred himself, who was apparently always there at the flimsy looking white stand.

Max didn’t exactly know how to answer.  _ Yes _ , of course. They were best friends, and Max trusted El more than… well, anyone. But she also felt like El was drifting. Ever since she got back together with Mike, Max felt… inferior. As stupid as that sounded.

She also had…  _ maybe _ a bit of a crush on her.

“Well… yeah. Of course. I love her.” Shit, that sounded… “You know. As a friend.”

The Party already knew that Max liked girls-- she told them when the topic came up. (Stupid Dustin with his stupid questions. “Can girls like other girls?” Yes, of course, you idiot.) But Max wasn’t in  _ love-- _ and even if she was, she wasn’t about to go spilling her guts to…

Will. She never really knew why they weren’t close. They didn’t hate each other like her and Mike. Max actually liked spending time with him. They just never got the chance, she supposed.

“Just as a friend?” he was focused on his chocolate ice cream. There was a cool breeze, and Max shivered, wishing she could avoid the question.

“Um…”

Will seemed to notice that he’d crossed some sort of line. “Sorry. I’ve just noticed… you don’t like it when Mike and El… do stuff.”

‘Don’t like it’ was an understatement. Max felt like a part of her soul was being ripped out every time the two held hands.

Max focused on the sky, which was slowly growing dimmer. Sunset would be in about fifteen minutes.

Will’s voice brought her out of her trance. “Do you like Mike?” He almost seemed defensive.

She furrowed her eyebrows. “What? No. I already told you that I like girls.”

He shook his head. “I know. It’s just… you never said you didn’t like boys.”

Dammit, why was this boy so observant and caring and patient? It made it harder for Max to keep everything inside. Maybe _ that _ was why she barely talked to him.

_ But _ , a voice in her head spoke,  _ why keep everything inside? You can talk to him, you know. He won’t bite. _

As she ate away the last of her cone, she considered the prospect. The daunting silence was booming in her ears. She had to say it. It was too hard to keep in a bottle.

“Alright. Okay. I do like El. Like,  _ like _ her. And I can’t  _ stand  _ it when she kisses Mike, or even hugs him, because why hug that disgusting weasel when she could hug me?”

“He’s not  _ that _ disgusting.” Will avoided her gaze as it clicked.  _ Oh _ .  _ That’s _ why he understood.

“So…” she prompted cautiously.

He watched Max for a moment, as if deciding if he could trust her. He finally decided he could and started to speak.

“Ugh, it’s  _ so _ annoying! He barely even  _ knows _ her, and all they do is  _ hug _ and  _ kiss _ and  _ hold hands _ and it’s like they’re  _ trying _ to drive me insane!” He shook his head, fire in his eyes.

They sat in quiet for a moment before Max started laughing. “What?” Will asked, and she shook her head.

“Nothing. It’s just. How haven’t we talked before?”

Then Will was laughing too. “I don’t know. But we should do it more.”

They smiled at each other, and Max was glad she’d found this new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated! Request things on tumblr @ strangerthingsiscool <3


	2. Not as upset as I should be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El feels different about her and Mike's relationship. She talks to him about it.

**Part 1: El Hopper**

El liked quiet.

She didn’t like  _ silence _ \-- it always brought her back to the lab, where no one talked and she just had to  _ do _ .

But the type of quiet where you can just sit and listen to the murmur of conversations and small little noises and never have to contribute to the noise?

That was nice.

Now, it was quiet. She sat next to Mike on the couch, his arm around her shoulder. It was comfortable. Quiet.

But El’s mind wasn’t quiet. It was buzzing, full of thoughts that were screaming at her, and she screamed right back at them.

El didn’t know when she realized that she felt different about Mike. Maybe she always knew. But now she  _ knew _ . And she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

_ I don’t like Mike. I  _ like  _ Mike, but I don’t want to kiss him anymore. I want to kiss Max. _

That last thought had been crossing her mind more frequently than she liked. Now, she watched her best friend from across the room. She was talking to Will, and they were chuckling about something. El couldn’t help but wish she was over there. She wanted to be the one to make Max laugh like that.

“Hey.” Mike’s voice brought her back to reality. “Are you okay?”

She thought.  _ Was _ she okay? Was any of this normal? Comparing the quiet of her friends to the silence of the lab? Comparing the affection she felt for Mike  to the love to what she felt for Max? Trying to silence the screaming in her head but only making it louder?

All she could say was, “We need to talk.”

And as her words sunk in, she snuck another glance at Max, who was staring right back.

**Part 2: Mike Wheeler**

_ We need to talk? _

El had never been the ominous type. She liked to say things as they were. She was very literal. So, what was the deal now? What was so important that it required a “We need to talk?”

Well, he was about to find out, he guessed.

His eyes found Will as the Party walked away. Mike waved to his friends, hoping to catch his eye, but Will didn’t even look back.

_ Shit. What did I do? _ He was filled with… panic. Because after what happened, with the fight in the rain…

He couldn’t hurt his best friend again.

“Mike.” El was standing at the bottom of the stairs, facing him. They were alone now. And as he heard the door shut upstairs, El approached him. “I… feel different.”

Okay. “Different? Different how?” He tried his best to look supportive, but Mike was always bad at that with most people. Except for Will. It came naturally with him.

She hesitated, then frowned, then looked down and took a shaky breath. “I like girls.” She spoke so quickly that Mike wasn’t sure she heard right.  _ Girls? _

“Huh…?” It didn’t make sense… 

She lifted her gaze to meet Mike’s eyes. “Max. I… think I like her.”

Oh.

“Really?” She nodded.

Huh. “Well, I’m proud of you.” He smiled supportively.

“There’s more than that.” She seemed confident now.

Mike was completely lost. What else could--

“I want to break up.”

Oh. Right.

Mike didn’t really understand. He thought things were going well. They were a great couple, and he loved spending time with her. Sure, maybe they kissed a lot, but Mike loved her. No denying that.

It was like she was reading his mind. “I’m sorry. I just… It’s so hard, to see her with other people. To be with you when I want to be with her.” She looked back at the floor, and something clicked in Mike’s mind.

Because he felt like that, too.

He loved El, but he felt connected to Will. Whenever he saw Will talking to… well, anyone, it was hard to spend time with his own girlfriend, as pathetic as that sounded. Because he didn’t want El. Not in that way.

He wanted Will.

“I think… I see what you mean.” And a huge wave of relief overtook him, making him feel so light that he could fly. He smiled, which confused El, until he spoke again. “Listen. You go get her, and we’ll stay best friends forever, right?”

She broke out her classic El grin. “Best friends.” She seemed to like it.

Mike did, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ello  
> Ay, if you've scrolled down this far, that means you've read the chapter, so please leave kudos! *winks*


	3. Why am I so excited?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elmax sleepover time! Will they confess their feelings?

**Part 1: Max Mayfield**

She was sitting in her room, bored out of her skull.

_ I have to  _ do _ something. _

So she stood, making a vague plan to walk to Will’s house and surprise him, when she herself was surprised by the crackle of her walkie.

“Max? This is El. Do you copy? Over.”

Grinning in spite of herself, she sat back down and pulled her walkie talkie. She pulled up the antennae and spoke. “Yeah, I copy. How are you? Over.”

“I’m good. Wanna have a sleepover? You can come over. Over.” Ha, come over over.

While she wouldn’t usually pass on an opportunity to see the Byers family, Max really wanted to be with El, and just El. She was aching for it. The drifting feeling felt more prominent than ever now that she had someone to vent about it to.

“Actually, I was thinking my house? My step-dad is out of town for the weekend, and my mom… Well, she’s nice.” Max knew her mom would help her and El-- she always seemed up for doing ‘girl stuff’ with Max, as little as she wanted it.

“Cool. See you in twenty? Over.”

And Max was smiling again.

“Yeah, see you in twenty. Over and out.”

\-----

The girls met up and, with a bit of Max’s parents’ money, left to go shopping.

They went to a store that used to be in the Mall but moved once… well, after last summer. It was close enough to Max’s that they could walk.

Now, Max was waiting outside of a dressing room as El tried on a red summer dress. She tapped her foot as she watched people pass by and glanced at the blue flowery top she was planning to try on next. (Blue really wasn’t her color, but El insisted that it would look great.)

It was funny, because blue really was El’s color, while she herself wore red.

_ Click _ . The door opened, and--

_ Shit.  _ El looked pretty.  _ Really  _ pretty.

The crimson fabric flowed beautifully, framing her waist and her body perfectly. The color went well with her brown hair and matched the fire in her soul.

Max must have been staring , because El smiled and did a little twirl. Max knew she was blushing, but she didn’t care. All she knew was this.

_ I have to tell her _ .

* * *

**Part 2: El Hopper**

_ 12:54 AM. _

El and Max were wide awake.

After their energy buzz died down at about 12:45, they both crawled into Max’s bed and sat. Tense silence.

El had something to say.

“Are you friends with Will now?” She didn’t mean to sound so sharp. Oops.

Max straightened her posure. “Um, yeah. He’s really nice.” She smiled, probably thinking about him. El didn’t like it.

“Are you dating?” she accused, crossing her fingers under the blanket. According to Nancy, it was something you did when you hoped for something. El  _ really _ hoped that Max wasn’t dating Will. 

Max raised her eyebrows and let out a small laugh. “What? Uh, no. I don’t like boys. And he likes someone else, anyway.”

“Mike.” It seemed obvious enough. She’d figured it out after her conversation with Mike and observing Will’s behavior. El’s conclusion was that the two were in love and needed to do something about it, stat.

Of course, that would make El a hypocrite.

Max seemed surprised that El knew. “Um, yeah. Do you think he likes him back?”

“Yes.” El answered quick. She wasn’t an idiot.

Neither was Max, who smiled mischievously. “It would be a shame if someone were to help them figure it out, wouldn’t it?” she teased. El laughed. She was thinking the same thing.

It was easier to laugh now, El realized. Now that she didn’t have to worry. Now that she had a chance.

“Hey, um, Max…” El felt a jolt of nerves. Was she doing this? “Do you like someone?”

Max didn’t respond for a second. Then, she bit her lip, and--

The door opened, spoiling the moment, and making El jump out of her skin. Max’s mom was there.

“Hey girls. You okay?”

A mixture of startledness, nerves, and all the sugar they ate made El feel nauseous. She pushed past Max’s mom and rushed to the bathroom, and then she was throwing up.

And on the car ride home with Joyce, she mused humorlessly, _ well, that failed miserably. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry I HAD to--  
> Well, you'll get what you want in chapter 7 ;)


	4. Annoyed, as I should be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one else is picking up, so Mike goes to *insert reluctant sigh* Max for advice. Max tries to help him with his sexuality crisis.

**Part 1: Mike Wheeler**

Ever since his talk with El, the thoughts had been simmering in his head, growing louder and louder until they reached a boiling point.

He’d been pacing, then sitting, then pacing, then sitting, for the last ten minutes. Or was it twenty? He lost count.

What should he do? How could he stop the thoughts in his head?

_ Will. You like Will. You liked El but now you like Will and it’s driving you insane and tearing you apart-- _

Jesus. Mike needed a break.

Grabbing his radio, he pulled out the antennae and switched to Channel 2. His and Lucas’s. “Hey Lucas, Mike here. Do you copy? Over.”

Bouncing his leg impatiently, Mike waited a minute, two minutes… “Lucas? Do you copy?”

Three more minutes of trying. No reply. Shit.

He switched it to Channel 6. “Dustin, this is Mike. Do you copy? Over?”

Crackle.  _ Yes. _ Thank god--

“Sorry, Mike. Can’t talk now. I’m with Steve. Over.”

Ugh. Mike cursed under his breath. “Well, when can you talk?”

Pause. “Uhm, I dunno. See you later. Over and out.”

Seriously? If you’re not going to talk, just don’t answer at all.

Who’s next? Will-- no, no, absolutely not. Not yet. El! They were friends, right?

“El, this is Mike. Do you copy? Over.” No reply. He tried a few more times, even switching to a different channel that she  _ might _ be on… 

But there was no sign of El.

_ Max. She understands what you’re going through. _

Shut up, brain.

But eventually, he got sick of pacing and felt like he was literally about to explode. So, very reluctantly, he switched the radio to channel 4, and…

“Max. This is Mike. Do you copy? Over.”

After a few seconds, Mike was just about ready to give up, but then--

“Yeah, sure. What do you need? Over.”

Relief overwhelmed him. “Max! Thank god-- I mean. I just need someone to… I’m kind of in a rough place right now.” He waited for her reply before realizing he forgot to say “Over”. He added it quickly.

A few seconds.  _ She better not have left. _

“Meet me at my house. There’s a pretty good spot where we can go and talk.”

Curious, but mostly just desperate, Mike reluctantly agreed.

This was going to suck.

* * *

**Part 2: Max Mayfield**

The ‘pretty good spot’ was a tree behind Max’s house.

Mike didn’t approve.

“Come on, Max. I don’t climb trees.” She rolled her eyes.

Max didn’t know why she disliked Mike Wheeler, and she didn’t really care. It was fun to have a frenemy. Especially when said frenemy was an idiot.

“Well, fine. We can just sit underneath it.” She sat down before he could argue. Mike groaned and reluctantly sat down across from her.

It was quiet for a few seconds. Max was waiting for Mike to talk, but he clearly wasn’t going to if Max didn’t press on. So, she pressed on.

“So, what’s the deal, Wheeler? You biked all the way out here. Why?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know. I just need someone to talk to.” The look on Mike’s face was enough for Max’s eyes to soften just a little. He was clearly going through something.

“Well… I know we’re not always… on the same page. But, I’m here for you.” She smiled at him.

Mike raised his eyebrows. “Yeesh. Okay.”

“Jesus, Wheeler, there’s no pleasing you sometimes.”

“Sorry! But you don’t need to be so… cheesy. I’m fine, anyway.” He looked down at his hands, which were fidgeting.

Max saw right through that. “Okay. That’s not true.” He looked up. “You’re not fine.”

Max expected him to immediately deny it, but instead he just sighed. “It’s complicated.”

_ Hmm. Maybe we’re getting somewhere. _

Max carefully pressed on. “What is it about?”

And then the boy was spilling everything.

“It’s Will, okay? Ever since me and El talked, I’ve been realizing things, and rethinking everything, and I don’t know what’s going on!” His voice broke and he bit his lip, tears welling in his eyes.

Max rarely felt sympathy for Mike Wheeler, but this was one of those moments.

“Oh, Mike. I mean, I totally get what you’re going through. I know how it feels…”

“Do you know how hard it is to watch him talk to you? He probably likes you and you probably like him back…”

“First of all, I like girls! How many goddamn times?” she snapped. “And  _ yes _ , Mike,  _ yes,  _ I know how it feels to be jealous! How do you think it feels to watch El make out with you every goddamn minute?”

Silence hung in the air as Max panted heavily.  _ Why did I have to say that? We were starting to understand each other… _

But, as she was realizing, maybe they understood each other now better than ever.

“I’m… sorry, Max.”

She closed her eyes, willing the tears in her eyes to stay, wanting to disappear from the situation.

“We’re broken up, you know.” She looked up, eyes still wet.

“You are?” He nodded.  _ Oh thank god, this means I have a chance…  _ No. This wasn’t about her. Mike was the one having a sexuality crisis, and Max was the one with experience on how to deal with such things.

Hmm. “Well… maybe I can help you do something about Will.”

And when they shared a look, Max thought that they were on the right path to understanding each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I've captured their essence  
> Plz leave comments, kudos, and prompts/asks on tumblr! @ stranger things is cool :D


	5. This is what makes me feel normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will flashes back to the Upside Down and El helps him. Hot chocolate and sibling conversations <3

**Part 1: Will Byers**

Will had been avoiding Castle Byers for… a while.

He didn’t really need it anymore, and now there were too many bad memories for the good ones to mean anything.

The last time he’d really  _ been there _ (as in, spending time there, sitting inside and being alone) was after his fight with Mike. Which he didn’t ever want to relive. From then, he’d come back to move things out of the broken fort. Jonathan had fixed it, but Will never really cared enough to bring things back, and now it was basically empty except for a few blankets, which Will was retrieving now.

He grabbed a gray blanket, willing the bitter memories that forced their way into Will’s head  _ away. Go away. _

_ “It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” _

Oh, the irony.

Will bit his lip, wanting to break something. Wanting to tear down his safe haven once more. Wanting to  _ scream _ at Mike but also fall into his arms and go back to that Halloween, when everything was okay and they were crazy  _ together _ .

Well, things were different now. Mike probably forgot about that night, anyway.

Will grabbed another blanket from the ground, exposing the grass and--

And a stuffed tiger.

One he hadn’t seen since he’d been curling up, holding it tightly, trying to stay still and quiet, hungry and thirsty and tired and alone… 

He was back in the Upside Down.

Oh… oh no. This wasn’t supposed to be happening… Go away… Go away… 

Will tried to form words, but he was frozen. He tried to breathe but immediately coughed from the spores floating in this living hell--

Storm. Red.

Shadow.

Ice filled Will’s body. He was stuck. He was alone and stuck and the Mind Flayer was right there and he needed someone,  _ anyone _ \--

_ Who’s nearby?  _

“Mom! El? Mike? Anyone?!”

He felt hands on his shoulders, shaking him. He was back. He was safe. And there was El, holding him and looking into his eyes, face full of concern.

“Will? Are you… okay?” She looked terrified.

He couldn’t respond. He just shook and grabbed her, thinking that if he could hold someone, he couldn’t be taken back…

“Let’s go inside.”

He nodded weakly, and they were walking back through the woods.

* * *

**Part 2: El Hopper**

After ten minutes of sitting and drinking hot chocolate, Will’s voice cut through the silence.

“I was back there.”

She looked up, feeling awful for this poor boy who had been through too much.

“Has it happened before? Recently?”

He thought, and shook his head. “No. Not since… since the shadow monster got out of me.”

Shit. (Max was teaching her curse words, and this one seemed to fit.) What did this mean?

“Well… tell me what happened. All of it.”

He shook his head. El reached out to hold his hand, and she squeezed it. He squeezed back.

With a shaky breath, he began. “I was going back to grab some old stuff. I was already in a bad mood from… things. I picked up a blanket and saw this… stuffed tiger. Which I hadn’t seen since… Well, you know.”

She did know. She saw it the first time she ever talked to Will, when she was in the void and he was barely conscious in the Upside Down.

“Oh. Will, I’m so sorry…” She pulled him into a hug.

“I’m fine now. But I saw the storm, and… the Mind Flayer.”

Unease shot through El like a controlled shock (which she’d felt, once). Even though the gate was tightly closed, the idea of him-- it-- being alive was a horrifying prospect. More than horrifying. Was there a better word? No word could really capture the full terror of it.

“That’s… really horrifying…”

“Yeah.” That’s all they really needed to say.

Will looked ready to be done talking about it, so El quickly moved on. “Let’s talk about something else.”

He nodded.

Hmm… what else was there? What could she say to cheer him up…?

“Mike and I… are broken up.”

That seemed to have the desired effect, some of the gloom leaving her brother’s face.

“Really? I mean, cool. Why?”

She knew she could trust him. “I like Max.”

Will’s face softened. “Oh. Cool.” He seemed ready to say something else, but stayed quiet.

“Will.”

He looked up, looking nervous. “What?”

“You can talk to me.”

He took a shaky breath, and sighed. “I mean… I guess I’m happy that you’re broken up. Because… I like Mike.”

After a few seconds, El realized that she hadn’t reacted, so she sent him a sympathetic look and he released a breath.

“Will.” She smiled. “I know.”

“Wh-What?”

“I’m proud of you.”

He seemed baffled, but his face turned into a soft smile. El reached over and hugged him. “Now go get him,” she whispered inaudibly.

“What?”

She smirked and shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Is that hot chocolate?” Jonathan walked into the room and plopped down on the couch next to Will. “Where can I get some?”

“Make it yourself,” Will said with a teasing smile. El nodded, and Jonathan sighed and walked away.

“Some special treatment would be nice for someone who just got a new job.”

Their mouths fell open in shock, and they cheered for him while he explained that he’d be working at Dairy Queen.

“Not as good as Fred’s,” Will commented, then turned to El. “I’ll have to take you there some time. You, me, and  _ Max _ .”

Her cheeks warmed as he smirked and Jonathan looked on questioningly.

“Maybe we’ll bring  _ Mike _ too.” He rolled his eyes.

As Jonathan left to make himself hot chocolate, Will muttered to himself, “It’s never gonna happen.”

And El responded, “Maybe it will.”

It would. She just knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> El knows all
> 
> and i'm sorry I HAD to--


	6. I love you but I hate life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byler has a sleepover, and some feelings get out.
> 
> a n g s t

**Part 1: Mike Wheeler**

He had to stop pacing. He was at a risk of walking his feet off.

_ “Okay, so you ask him to a sleepover--” _

_ “Then what?” _

_ “Then, you just, you know. Tell him how you feel.” _

What a stupid plan. Mike didn’t even know how he felt.

And he didn’t even need Max’s help, anyway! He could do it himself. Or, better yet, just ignore it until it goes away. Mike was good at ignoring.

But it didn’t seem like it was going to go away.

_ Okay, Mike. You can do this. Just pick up the radio, switch the channel, and talk. _

No. Not today.

“Hey, Mike?” Nancy called from upstairs. “Steve, Robin, and Jonathan are coming over tonight!”

Shit. That meant either be trapped in the basement alone all night, or be forced to  _ talk _ to them. Both sounded like an awful night.

_ You know, you could-- _

Shut up, brain.

“Okay!” he shouted to Nancy, cursing as he reached for his radio, which was on the couch. (He’d picked it up and set it down several times, trying to do it but not wanting to.)

Channel 5. “Will, this is Mike. Do you copy? Over.” It was incredibly hard to sound calm when every breath felt like fire and every bone in his body wanted to run away--

“I copy. Over.” That was it. Three words.

Shit.

“I, uh… Well, I was wondering if… Wanna have a sleepover?” He took a steady breath. “Over.”

There was a notable pause. The silence cut through Mike’s veins.

“Sure. I mean, wanna do it at my house? Jonathan’s going to be gone and El’s with Max for the afternoon. Over.”

His house? Did Will realize how hard it was going to be to spill everything when he wasn’t in the comfort of his own home?

But Mike imagined trying to do it with his whole family and four of Nancy’s friends in the same house.

Besides, the Byers house was basically a second home.

“Yeah. Yeah, sure. Um, when should I come?”

“Whenever,” came a fast answer. “I mean, let’s meet at Castle Byers in… an hour? Over.”

Too long. But not long enough.

“Yeah. An hour.” Awkward pause. “Well… yeah. Over and out.”

Shit shit shit.

\-----

“Hey.” Will’s voice startled Mike out of his own thoughts.

He was standing outside of Castle Byers, ten minutes early. After 40 minutes and a lot of pacing, Mike couldn’t take it anymore. So, he biked over. And turned back. And finally decided, What the hell, I’m gonna be there ten minutes early.

“You’re early,” Will commented, staring at Mike, not moving.  _ Oh god he’s so cute today, this is gonna be so hard… _

“So are you.” He barely knew what he was saying, but that sounded Mike-ish, right?

Will scoffed softly, then raised his eyebrows. “Touche, Wheeler.”

They both smiled at each other. Things were somewhat normal.

Will cleared his throat and looked down. “Do you wanna…”

“Yeah!” Mike said quickly.  _ Was that too quickly? _

“Great!” And the two left Castle Byers in profound silence.

_ This is going to be a disaster. _

* * *

**Part 2: Will Byers**

It was after 10, and Will already felt ready to doze off.

After the incredibly awkward first interaction, Will and Mike slowly fell back into their rhythm. It didn’t matter how things were. All that mattered was that it was Mike, and it was a sleepover. Just as it normally was. They biked, talked, read comics, had dinner, and now, they were in Will’s bedroom sitting on the floor. Will’s back was against the wall, facing Mike who sat on his sleeping bag. He seemed extra quiet.

“Hey.” That seemed to snap him out of it. “Are you okay?”

Mike didn’t respond. He looked at the door, which was shut, and then at the floor.

“Mike.” He didn’t look up. “You can talk to me.”

Mike closed his eyes. “It’s… nothing.”

“It’s not nothing. You’re thinking about something.” Did Mike really think he could hide from Will, who’s known him since kindergarten? Nice try.

“Well… I kinda… realized some stuff.”

Huh? Realized? Realized what? Will couldn’t help feeling nervous.  _ What if he found out... _

“Very specific.” He tried to keep his voice indifferent. Really, he was dying to know what Mike would say.

“Heh. Well… Shit. Max said that this would be easy.”

“ _ Max? _ ” Mike talked to Max? What universe were they living in?

“I’ve been feeling different lately!” Mike blurted out. “Shit… I mean…”

Will had some things to say.

“Can I talk?”

Mike nodded.

“Since we’re talking, I just… I think you owe me an apology,” he said, trying to stay calm but getting louder with every word.

“I… huh?” Mike seemed confused.

_ How dare he. _

“For what you said, that day! It was raining, and you were being an  _ asshole _ , and… you never apologized. And I tried to ignore it, but… well it ruined everything!” Will’s face was warm, and his eyes were wet, and he wanted to punch a wall and scream and--

“I did apologize!” Mike was angry too. Good.

Fuming, Will said sharply, “You didn’t mean it.”

“That is such bullshit!” he exclaimed.

Will didn’t feel inclined to reply. So they both sat, simmering. A minute passed.

Will heard Mike say something, softly. “I did mean it. Of course I did. Why would I ever say something like that--”

“Good question.” He wasn’t just going to forgive the boy who ripped out his heart.

“Let me finish.” Fine. “Why would I ever say something like that when… I like you?”

Will couldn't even process the words.

“Wh-What?” He wouldn’t believe it. He was hearing things.

“I like you.” Will lifted his eyes to Mike’s face, which was red and wet from tears. “I… just realized, and it’s kinda… messing me up right now. You can have a real lasting effect on people, Byers.”

_ What? _ What was that supposed to mean?

“Oh yeah? Try being in love with someone who can’t spend two seconds away from their girlfriend.” He didn’t care if the words sounded harsh. He even rolled his eyes for good measure.

“What?” Oh, shit. Did Will really say…

They shared a look full of emotion. Will was still mad, but Mike seemed to be… hopeful? Nervous? It was hard to tell.

Eventually, Will softened his gaze, finally catching up with things. Mike liked him. Mike  _ liked _ him. He didn’t want to believe it, but at the same time he really,  _ really _ did.

“Do you actually like me?” Will asked, terrified of the answer--

“Yes.” That was fast.

_ Oh my god oh my god oh my god-- _

“And… I’m really sorry. For what I said on that day,” he continued. He softly added something that sounded like “I’ll never forget the face you made,” but Will couldn’t be sure. “So… do you really like me back?”

Will nodded, in a daze. Tired but wide awake.

And Mike smiled in the sweetest, cheesiest way. Will couldn’t resist blushing and smiling too.

“You look cute when you smile.”

Will was definitely hearing things now.

But Mike scooted closer and so did Will, and they just sat there, comfortably close, watching each other.

“Can I kiss you?”

_ Oh my god oh my god oh my god-- _

“Yes!” Will said, nervous, but excited and  _ oh my god-- _

And the impossible happened. They kissed.

Kissing was weird, but it felt weirdly right with Mike--  _ my first kiss is with Mike-- _

They broke apart too soon. Will was smiling widely, and he was happy to see that Mike was, too.

He wanted to kiss him again but instead pulled Mike into a tight hug. Which seemed to surprise Mike.

But Will needed this. He’s needed this for… well, ever since their fight.

After a long time of sitting, holding each other, Will asked a question that was pressing his mind.

“What now?”

Mike seemed to be thinking about it. “Well… we could… be together.”

Yeah, great way to get them both killed, or at least kill their reputations.

“It would be a secret,” Mike said, seemingly reading Will’s mind, but barely easing his concerns.

“Mike, I really want to… But I’m scared.”

Mike held him tighter. “It’ll be okay… we’ll be in it together.”

_ Together _ . Will felt comfortable. At home.

He broke apart, grabbing Mike’s hand and interlocking their fingers. They were close again, staring into each other’s eyes.

“Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty proud of that Byler scene ngl
> 
> *shamelessly self promotes* If you want more content like this, go to tumblr! @ stranger things is cool! And here's a reminder to leave kudos and comments! <3


	7. I want to help you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byler sets up Elmax!! Featuring a plan to get them to watch a romance movie together!

**Part 1: Mike Wheeler**

Together.

They were sitting against Will’s bed, still holding hands. Will was dozing off, so Mike stood up quietly to turn off the lights.

“Huh…” Will murmured.

“It’s 10:30, and you’re about to fall asleep.”

“No.” Will rubbed his eyes. “I want to stay awake.”

Mike smiled, wondering how it took him so long to realize how much he loved this incredible boy.

“Well, if you insist.” He flipped them back on and plopped down on Will’s bed. Will got up and sat next to him. “What now?”

“I heard you mention Max. Earlier.”

Huh? Oh, right. “Oh… well, she kind of helped me figure out how to talk to you.  _ Kind of _ . Really she was no help whatsoever.”

Will snickered and grabbed Mike’s hand. “Well, it  _ kind of _ worked.”

Mike blushed. It should be illegal for him to be this cute, he thought.

“Well, speaking of Max. She and El like each other.”

“I know. And they’re kind of oblivious.”

“Kind of ironic for you to say,” Mike said, smirking.

Will shrugged, smiling. “Well. We’re totally going to set them up, right?”

“Yeah, of course. No question. So, how do we do it?”

“Hmm…” and Will, with his perfect mind, thought up a perfect plan.

**Part 2: El Hopper**

El was satisfied when Will and Mike emerged from Will’s room holding hands.

She looked at Mike, then at Will, and smiled questioningly at her brother. He nodded, and she understood.  _ They finally figured it out. _ She let herself smile and walked away, amused at Mike’s confused expression. She and Will could kind of communicate without words, and it was always funny to see how other people reacted to it.

El sat down at the kitchen table, followed by Will and Mike. Jonathan was cooking breakfast. He set down three steaming plates in front of them, then got his own.

All four teens were lost in their food, which was pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Yum.

Jonathan left the table, ruffling Will’s hair, which caused Will to snicker and Mike to blush.

“So… El.” Will said in a strangely musical tone.

“Yes?”

“I was thinking, later tonight we could invite Max over? All three of us could hang out and watch some movies.”

Max. Movies. Will. Sounds like a perfect night.

Especially the Max part.

“Sure. What about Mike?” She said, looking at the dark haired boy who was now picking at his eggs.

Mike shook his head. “Sorry, El. I promised my parents I’d be home for… family night.”

The Wheelers? Family night?

Something was off.

Well, it didn’t matter. Tonight was going to be great. (Of course it would suck that she and Max wouldn’t have an opportunity to set up the boys, but they were already together, so it didn’t really matter.)

El was excited. Especially since Max was involved.

**Part 3: Will Byers**

_ Knock knock. _

Max wasn’t coming until five, so this must be the other expected guests.

Will made sure El wasn’t in the room before going to answer the door. As expected, it was Dustin and Lucas, holding a stack of movies.

“Hey, man, we got the movies you--” Will quickly grabbed them, sifting through the pile, as Dustin muttered “needed…”

There were a bunch of Horror, Action, and comedies, and then, at the bottom…

“Princess Bride?” Will groaned. He doubted that this would work.

“Yeah. You said something romantic? What’s it for, you and Max?”

Will shook his head. “No, no. I don’t like her… like that. It’s for something else. A plan.”

Dustin seemed confused. Lucas shrugged. “Okay, what kind of plan? Can we help?” he asked.

“Sorry, no. Even Mike’s not allowed.” They’d decided that the less people there, the better. Mike’s presence would be a distraction-- at least, that’s what Mike said. Will didn’t believe it. But, Mike insisted that he was an awful liar and he’d give the plan away immediately, so it was decided.

“Huh,” Dustin said. “And hey, what’s wrong with the Princess Bride? I love that movie!”

Lucas raised his eyebrows as Will chuckled and Dustin jumped to defend himself. “What? It’s a great movie! It has action, comedy, great characters, and  _ romance _ .”

Lucas folded his arms. “Uh- _ huh _ . Well, we have places to be. The Arcade, namely. I need to sharpen my skills. And also watch Dustin rage over Dragon Lair.”

“I do not  _ rage!” _

Will chuckled and waved as the two walked away, still arguing.

(“It’s okay, not everyone can have my skill.”

“Shut up! I have skill! And I do not  _ rage _ over Dragon’s Lair!”)

Will went back into his house and set the movie stack on an end table by the couch, being sure to put The Princess Bride at the bottom.

And as he went to his room to daydream about Mike, he wondered if maybe the movie was just cheesy enough for El and Max.

* * *

**Part 4: Max Mayfield**

As the credits rolled, Max stood up and stretched to shake off the grogginess that had come over her. El was curled up adorably in the corner of the couch, wrapped in a blanket and basically half asleep.

“Well, what now?” Max asked, voice quiet and tired from a busy day.

El shrugged, blinking her eyes open. “Where’s Will?” she murmured, stretching out.

Max looked around, but El’s brother was nowhere to be seen.

“Um, I don’t know. I guess he went to sleep.” She tried to hide her excitement, but the fact was that  _ she was alone with El. _

“Hm.” El stretched out her arms, then brushed a strand of hair out of her face. The gesture was so cute that Max had to hide the sound she made with a cough. “Want to watch another movie?”

“Sure,” Max said, leaning over the side of the couch to get a glance at the pile. But the pile was gone. “What the hell…” Then she caught a glimpse of the single movie that sat on the table.  _ The Princess Bride. _

“What is it?” El asked, shifting her position to look.

“There’s only one. The Princess Bride.” She held it out to El, who shrugged.

“I’ve never seen it,” she said.

Max had. It wasn’t a bad movie, but it was cheesy. It had a reasonable amount of kissing.

“Well,” Max said with a small smile, “let’s do it.”

\-----

_ “As… you… wish!” _

El chuckled as Westley rolled down the hill and Buttercup chased after him. Max glanced at her, expecting to see a happy face, but El looked preoccupied.

“Are you okay?” Max asked, muting the movie and scooting closer to El.

El shook her head  _ no. _ And without any questions, Max pulled El into a hug.

After a moment, El pulled away. Quicker than usual.

“Max, you don’t get it. I… I…” El was almost crying. “I like you!”

_ She likes me back? _

After a moment of shock, it sunk in.

_ She likes me back. _

Max contented. A huge weight of anxiety was gone now, and she smiled. “I like you too, El.”

El froze, confused. Then Max’s words sunk in and El grinned. “That was a lie. I love you.”

Max almost panicked at El’s first sentence but then caught the second.

_ I love you _ .

It felt so right, so  _ real. _

The room was quiet, but the silence alive with excitement.

The movie still played, but it was forgotten. Max looked to El’s gorgeous eyes and found her staring back at Max.

Max was definitely blushing now, but she didn’t look away. She didn’t have to do that, not anymore. Because El liked her-- loved her back. A burst of happiness exploded in her heart as she realized it again.

El smiled, and Max smiled back. Elated. Alive.

“Can I kiss you?” El asked.  _ Oh my gosh, I’ve been dreaming of this day for so long, you don’t even know-- _

“Yes!” Max blurted, loud with excitement. El’s smile grew. Hushing her voice, Max added something that only El could appreciate.

“As you wish,” Max said, unable to stop her whole face from smiling.

And the they shared their first, mushy, awkward, sappy kiss, and broke apart smiling.

The characters on the TV screen may be in a love story, but now, so was Max.

And she’d just found the girl who would be her Happily Ever After.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties on the release date of The Princess Bride and such
> 
> But hey, I told you, didn't I?
> 
> Does anyone read these things?
> 
> No?
> 
> Okay


	8. Can things be okay?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byler and Elmax go on an Ice Cream Double Date!!

**Part 1: Will Byers**

As soon as Will found out that the plan worked, he called Mike.

“Wow, using a phone instead of just radio-ing me? This must be important.”

Will chuckled. “It is. Our plan worked.” The plan to steal all of the movies except for the romantic one and leave Max and El alone. Of course, they probably would have figured it out by themselves-- they were practically drooling all over each other at every moment.

“Really?”

“Well, they’ve been holding hands and acting all lovey-dovey all morning. So, yeah, I’d say it worked.”

“It’s about time.” After a pause, Mike added something else. “Hey, you know what we should do?”

“Yeah?”

“A double date.”

_Date._ _Date with Mike._ He felt butterflies even thinking about it. Good ones.

“Sure. I-I mean, yeah. Awesome,” Will said, stumbling over his words and hoping Mike didn’t notice.

Mike let out a small laugh, which made Will blush. “Okay, cool. We’ll do that.” Will smiled widely at the thought. A date. A  _ double _ date, but a date nonetheless. With Mike. And El there with someone else. And Mike there with  _ him.  _ He wanted to scream from happiness.

“Bye,” Will said, not even bothering to hide the excitement in his voice.  _ I feel invincible. _

And the first thing he did after hanging up was run to El and ramble on excitedly about making plans.

* * *

**Part 2: El Hopper**

“Okay, okay, slow down!” She was sitting on her bed, listening to Will go on and on about something. But he was talking so fast that she couldn’t even catch the words.

Will took a breath. “So, you and Max are a couple now, right?”

El blushed and smiled at the thought. “I think so.”

“You think so?” Will seemed confused. Exasperated, even.

“We kissed.” Saying the words brought El back to the moment. She wanted to tell everyone in the whole world, scream it on a mountaintop.  _ I kissed Max! _

Will raised his eyebrows. “Okay. So, when you two are done being oblivious and stop dancing around each other, Mike was wondering if we could all go on a double date.” The excitement in Will’s voice was back as he sped through the last few words.

Double date?

“Is that… a date, but with… another date?”

Will rushed to explain. “Yeah, you and Max would go with me and Mike. Two couples. A double date.”

El was a little confused by the concept, but she loved any chance for a new adventure. “I want to do it.”

Will smiled and nodded. He hugged her quickly before running out of the room, presumably to call Mike.

Double date. The start of a new part of their lives.

* * *

**Part 3: Max Mayfield**

Two days after an interesting phone call from El (that started right away with “We should have a ‘double date’.”), Max stood outside of the Byers house, holding her bike steady as she walked it mindlessly around the yard.

“Hey.” She turned to see an out of breath Mike Wheeler dismounting his bike, face flushed and hair untidy.

She must have been staring because Mike started to freak out. “Oh no. I look like shit, don’t I.”

Part of her wanted to chuckle and say “yeah, kinda,” but then she remembered that they were friends and that would be a shitty thing to say to someone freaking out before a date. So, she stuck with, “No, you look great. Just… fix your hair.” She meant that with her whole heart. The hair was a mess.

Mike’s hands immediately flew up to his head as he brushed his fingers through his hair. It immediately fixed itself- Mike must have washed it or something. It did look less shiny than usual. He looked to Max expectantly.

“Looking snazzy, Wheeler,” she said with a half-teasing smile on her face. But she did mean it. He looked good. And, based on Will’s extremely low standards (when they talked, she learned that Will would be attracted to Mike in basically any circumstances), she knew that Will would practically melt at the sight of him.

“Thanks. And hey… Thanks for the help. With Will, I mean.” He smiled softly. “Things worked out.”

“Okay,  _ now _ who’s the cheesy one?” She kept a straight face for a second, then smiled at him. Mike chuckled.

“Either we’re at each others’ throats or we’re acting like besties in some weird cheesy movie. There’s no in-betweens.”

Heh. “Right.” And at that moment, Max was distracted by the sight of El, wearing the red dress they’d picked out together. Her breath caught as she took in the whole picture. El’s gorgeous hair, her excited eyes, her soft, pink lips, her arms at her sides as she looked around and saw Max… and smiled brightly. Max smiled back.

Will followed after El and Mike practically stopped functioning. He’d turned bright red and was staring. Max wanted to laugh at him, but she was in the exact same boat.

She looked at Mike and they nodded, approaching the Byers house, and the prettiest girl, and the best of friends.

_ Well, here goes nothing. _

* * *

**Part 4: Mike Wheeler**

They all biked to some ice cream stand that Will recommended, and once they all had their cones, they went to sit in a nice shaded area by a tree.

Calm. Bright. Happy.

Mike sat next to Will, feeling like every one of Will’s gestures would make Mike combust. The glances, the smiles, the small touches.  _ I love him so much. _

He pulled his eyes away from Will to glance at El and Max, who were staring at each other, both red and smiling.  _ Yep, the plan definitely worked. _

Will chuckled and Mike looked at him. They took a moment to gaze into each other's eyes. Mike wished the moment could last forever.

He wrapped his arm around Will and Will rested his head on Mike’s shoulder. Mike was smiling uncontrollably.

_ I love him so much. I never want this moment to end. _

And as they sat like that, eating their ice cream and watching the distant trees dance as the wind blew, Mike wondered if Happily Ever After wasn’t just for fairy tales.

**The end :)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it! I hope you enjoyed!! Tysm for reading!
> 
> I really appreciate comments and kudos!!
> 
> Highkey am very proud of this fic that started as a prompt to write on a road trip. This is one of the first multichaptered things I've written alone, and I think it turned out aight! Of course I have much improvement to do. Onward! <3


End file.
